


'Til it's gone

by Tochira



Category: Saiyuki Gaiden
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-09
Updated: 2011-03-09
Packaged: 2017-10-16 19:43:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/168676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tochira/pseuds/Tochira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Konzen's happiest when left alone.  Really.</p>
            </blockquote>





	'Til it's gone

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 31_days LiveJournal community, prompt 3-3-2009, 'that unnoticed & that necessary'.

The first few times Goku runs off and disappears for a while, Konzen is simply grateful for the reprieve. He enjoys a few quiet and completely undisturbed hours in his office, frowning over his work. Goku always turns up in time for his next meal, anyway, and is usually so full of chatter about his escapades that Konzen threatens to make him sleep outside if he doesn't put a sock in it.

There comes a day when Goku fails to turn up in the evening, clamoring for food. Konzen looks up suddenly from his desk to see the light slanting long and pink through latticed windows, and realizes the whole day has passed in silence. It's actually disconcerting. He leaves without bothering to check that everything is in order for tomorrow, and heads straight to Tenpou's office.

"Goku? No, I haven't seen him at all today," is Tenpou's answer, pushing his glasses back up on his nose as he blinks at Konzen. "Kenren?"

"Whassat? Oh, it's you." Kenren materializes from behind a giant stack of-- what, exactly, Konzen's not sure, but it looks like mostly junk and old policy manuals-- and ambles over to sit on the edge of Tenpou's desk. "Where's the brat?"

Konzen rolls his eyes while Tenpou smiles as if Kenren's just performed a new trick. "Well, that's what we'd like to know. But you've been here all afternoon, so you probably haven't seen him either." Kenren chuckles as he picks up a still-smoking cigarette from Tenpou's ashtray. Taking a drag, he looks thoughtfully at the smoke rising towards the ceiling before contradicting him.

"Actually, I think I heard some yelling earlier this morning directed at a 'smelly, slithery little demon'... coming from the water gardens, it was." Kenren grins at Konzen and cocks his head. "Maybe he's developed a taste for fish."

Konzen resists the urge to bang his head against the doorframe, and wonders if perhaps he's better off just waiting to see whether Goku turns up in the morning. That small sliver of worry has already dug in, however, and he resigns himself to tromping around outside in the dark like an idiot. He's nearly toppled by Kenren, who claps him on the shoulder as he pushes by, followed by Tenpou. "Well, come on then, let's grab some lanterns and see if yelling 'fresh meat buns' lures him in."

Konzen blinks. It's Kenren's turn to roll his eyes. "What, you thought we weren't coming with? That's cold, even for you." He turns away, waving one hand over his head. "You take the orchards, we'll start with the water garden and work our way around the edge. Meet outside near the audience hall, 'kay?" And that's that.

So Konzen's still tromping around outside in the dark like an idiot, but at least he's not the only one. After about half an hour of walking beneath sweet-smelling fruit trees, all of which fail to yield a fruit-pilfering Goku (even after the few times he's called out for him), Konzen makes his way back. He sees two points of light waiting for him beneath the towering pillars of the audience hall, and feels something sink in the pit of his stomach. When he finally walks up to Tenpou and Kenren, breathing rather harder than he feels is dignified, he's in a truly sour mood.

Suddenly, Tenpou's attention is drawn upwards to a point over Konzen's head. He's about to ask what Tenpou sees when--

"OOF."

Tenpou's eyes widen with surprised laughter that's almost as loud as Kenren's, as Goku practically flattens his guardian in his descent from the eaves. The lantern goes out as he hits the paving-stones, and he feels small hands patting his shoulders and arms as Goku's irrepressible babbling breaks over him like a flood. "Konzen, Konzen are you okay? I swear I didn't really jump all the way from the roof, I was just up there on the post-thing watching you and I wanted to surprise you, Konzen please don't be too mad, I wanted to show you what I found--"

"GOKU."

Goku snaps his mouth shut so fast his teeth click together, eyes wide and staring at Konzen with a mixture of apprehension and glee. Konzen can't even decide where to start, he's so-- so--

"Let's move this party inside, guys, I'm dying of thirst," Kenren interjects, dipping down to scoop up the fallen lantern as he walks past with Tenpou. "Come on, monkey, we're gonna have to toss you into another fish pond just to clean you off."

"You better not! I already--" Goku looks up at Konzen and swallows, deciding to err on the side of caution at least until he's closer to a safe hiding place. Konzen sighs, tries to ignore his growing headache, and carefully stands up. Goku walks mostly-backwards in front of him as they follow their friends across the courtyard, occasionally hollering at Kenren to slow down. By the time they arrive back at Konzen's rooms, he's already tuned out Goku's commentary and relegated it to the level of inconsequential background noise, so he doesn't hear the question until Goku stops in his tracks and nearly gets stepped on.

"What is it now?"

"I said, are you still mad at me?" Goku still looks a bit worried, but also curious.

"...Next time you decide to disappear for an entire day, tell someone first," Konzen grumbles. "Now wash your hands before you get anything to eat."

Goku talks up a storm for the rest of the evening. Konzen doesn't say anything.


End file.
